Budimex, Strabag, and PORR are market leaders. The Polish construction sector is entering 2026 with a record order backlog and a wave of investments

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Budimex, Strabag, and PORR are market leaders. The Polish construction sector is entering 2026 with a record order backlog and a wave of investments

The Polish construction sector is at a turning point in 2026. Following a weaker 2025, the industry is entering a period of intensive infrastructure and energy investments, accompanied by a correction in residential construction. According to the latest PMR Market Experts by Hume’s report, “The Construction Sector in Poland 2026,” Budimex, Strabag, and PORR maintain their leading positions, and the order backlog of the largest contractors on the Polish market has reached a record level of nearly 105 billion PLN.

2025 was a disappointment, but 2026 brings a breakthrough in investment

Experts unanimously emphasize that 2025 turned out to be weaker than expected, despite a favorable macroeconomic environment, the release of National Reconstruction Plan (KPO) funds, and relatively favorable financing conditions. Construction and installation output fell by just under 1% in real terms, demonstrating the sector’s limited ability to immediately translate investment impulses into operating results.

At the same time, 2026 looks set to be a year of a marked recovery, driven by a concentration of the largest infrastructure and energy investments of the 21st century.

The year 2026 will be a period of strong positive momentum for the construction industry. The accumulation of EU funds and the increase in public investment are creating an exceptionally favorable environment for the entire sector

Szymon Jungiewicz
, Head of Construction Market Analysis

Macroeconomics: A strong boost in 2026, followed by a gradual slowdown

Poland’s economic environment this year remains moderately positive, with a clear one-time boost to growth. The accumulation of EU funds, the recovery in investment, and the increasing availability of credit are of key importance.

The main factors supporting the market include:

high private consumption,
a drop in interest rates,
rising household incomes,
an increase in public and private investment, particularly in the energy sector and infrastructure.

Risk Factors: Demographics, Geopolitics, and Cost Pressure

Despite the positive investment momentum, the construction sector remains exposed to significant structural risks. The most important of these include: a shrinking and aging workforce, persistent cost pressures (energy, wages, regulations), geopolitical and trade uncertainty, as well as the expiration of National Reconstruction Plan (KPO) funds after 2026, which will limit investment growth.

In addition, following a harsh winter, there were unexpected increases in oil prices (due to the war in Iran), which triggered a sharp rise in the costs of construction materials and logistics in the construction industry. These risks are affecting the supply side of the market, limiting the scale of the expected rebound.

Budimex, Strabag, and PORR Are the Leaders in the Construction Market

In 2024, the 20 largest construction companies in Poland generated total revenue of 50.8 billion PLN, with the figure remaining stable year over year.

According to the PMR Market Experts by Hume’s report, Budimex remains the undisputed leader, having generated over 9.1 billion PLN in revenue and nearly 624 million PLN in net profit in 2024. Strabag and PORR followed, maintaining their positions on the podium of Poland’s largest contractors. The following companies also stood out for their high profitability: Intercor (9.4%), Dekpol (6.9%), Budimex (6.8%), and Atlas Ward Polska (6.4%).

According to the latest data, at the end of 2025, the total order backlog of the largest companies reached a record 105 billion PLN, up 15% year-over-year. This result indicates that the industry is entering a phase of heavy investment. This means stability for large companies, but also operational and cost pressures.

Szymon Jungiewicz
, Head of Construction Market Analysis

Residential Construction: An Inevitable Correction and a Shift in the Market Model

The residential segment remains the weakest area of the construction market. An oversupply of apartments, high prices, and unfavorable demographic trends are leading developers to scale back new investments. In addition, the largest construction companies are shifting their focus toward infrastructure projects at the expense of building construction.

Experts predict that building permits will stabilize at 260,000–270,000 housing units per year, that previous records set between 2021 and 2024 will gradually fade, and that developers will become more cautious and the pace of new investments will slow.

Nonresidential Construction: Stabilization and the Growing Role of Modernization

The non-residential segment remains a stable pillar of the market. Growth is driven by improved financial conditions, stabilized construction costs, and the growing importance of modernization driven by ESG requirements. Key growth drivers include the development of logistics and nearshoring, local government and EU investments, the modernization of commercial facilities, the development of data centers and the digitization of the economy, as well as growing demand for green construction.

Civil Engineering. The Biggest Boom in Polish History

The strong position of market leaders—Budimex, Strabag, and PORR—and a record order backlog indicate that the coming years will be a period of high activity, albeit with growing cost pressures and demographic challenges.

The strongest growth momentum is in the engineering sector, which is entering a phase of implementing the largest projects in the country’s history.

Two traditional pillars of infrastructure—road construction and railway construction—play a key role. Despite temporary fluctuations in 2025, both segments remain the foundation of the engineering market, supported by high tender activity and long-term investment programs. Railways, in particular, are experiencing dynamic growth thanks to record-breaking investments by PKP PLK and the modernization of thousands of kilometers of track.

Alongside these, a new driving force in the market is emerging more and more clearly—the energy sector. The energy transition—which includes offshore wind farms, the expansion of transmission grids, and preparations for the construction of a nuclear power plant—is generating an unprecedented scale of investment that is increasingly redefining the structure of the entire construction sector.

The energy sector is growing particularly rapidly, with the value of its construction and installation output currently standing at approximately 24 billion PLN, and is projected to rise to 35–36 billion PLN annually in 2029–2030.

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